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What early help is and how to get it

Early help is the support we give to children, young people and their families where they have extra needs that aren't being met by universal services. Universal services are those that are for everyone, like health services and education.

When a family has extra needs, we make sure they can get the support they need as early as possible. This prevents their needs becoming so great that they need a higher level of support later on.

Who early help is for

Early help is for children and young people up to the age of 19 and their families. If the young person has a learning development need or disability, the support can go up to age 25.

The need for early help is identified through an early help assessment of the whole family.

Who provides support

If your family needs extra support, you could receive early help from one or more services including:

• family support workers
• family hubs
• targeted youth support
• school nurses
• speech and language therapists
• housing workers
• safety workers
• NHS staff
• services in the voluntary sector

 Watch our video to find out about a range of early help services from some of the people who use them.

How to get early help

The best way to get early help support is by talking to a professional that knows you already. This might be a GP, teacher, family support worker, school nurse, health visitor or early intervention and prevention worker. They'll be able to talk to you about what extra help you may need and how to access it.

If you prefer, you can fill in a request for targeted support form and email this to earlyhelp@barnsley.gov.uk or take it to your local family hub. You can also get one of these forms our family hubs.

If you think a child is in danger, find out what to do if you're worried about a child.

For more information

If you want to know more about early help, read our guide for parents and carers or contact the Families Information Service.